Sacred Poetry from Around the World

First dawn. Even the
birds in the tallest pines are
surprised by the sun.
~ Ivan M. Granger

I woke up this morning, and thought, Why not do something different to start the week off? Some miscellaneous things for you today…

14 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Me

Here are several things about me that may not be very important, but some of you might find interesting —

1. I was born with a caul over my face and torticollis (neck atrophy). My parents were advised by doctors to surgically sever the muscles of my neck. They refused, thankfully. Thanks to my parents’ instincts, I have full mobility in my neck today.

2. I was named after Ivan Karamazov, from Dostoyevski’s Brothers Karmazov. I finally read the book when I was 18. I asked my mother why she named me after that particular brother. She said she always imagined him to be an interesting, deep-thinking intellectual. I said, yes, but you know he goes crazy, right? I mean, I could have been named after the good-hearted, naive mystic, instead.

3. I was once under suspicion for murder. (Why are you looking at me that way? No, I didn’t do it.) The crime took place in a state I’ve never visited. But the suspect did look a lot like me. I spent a very long 30 minutes being grilled by detectives before they released me.

4. When I was in high school, I wrote a short horror story and sent it to Stephen King. He sent back a typed index card saying that he liked the story and made a few friendly suggestions. I also wrote a science fiction novel when I was in my 20s. Never got it published. It’s sitting in the back of one of my closets, somewhere.

5. I got very skinny in my 30s, under 130 lbs (for a someone who stands 5′ 11″ tall). Several years ago I decided to radically alter my energies and I intentionally put on weight in order to be more physically present in the world. I had to train myself to eat more. I even lifted weights. In the space of 8 months, I added nearly 50 lbs to my body.

6. I am the son of hippie parents, yet I have never smoked pot… or drunk alcohol. Not once. (OK, I have had a sip of red wine and I think champagne, and maybe two other drinks — I wanted to know what they tasted like.) It’s not a weird religious thing, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with those things in moderation. For some reason that I don’t understand myself, I made a personal vow not to drink at age 13, and I’ve always stuck with it. On my 21st birthday, I did go to a bar, but mainly because I wanted to finally hear some good live music. A friend met me there and surprised me with a pitcher of beer. I spent all night pretending to drink the beer, but that glass of beer oddly never went down in level. The music was great, though.

7. I went to three universities in three years and graduated from none of them. In my freshman year, I was wait-listed for USC’s school of film. I thought of becoming a movie director, the next Kubrick.

8. I wanted to be Spider-Man as a child.

9. My father lived in Tehran, Iran in the 70s. He was a university professor there, and he left just before the Islamic Revolution kicked into full gear.

10. The only country outside the US I have visited (so far) is Canada. I have not yet been to Europe or India or South America. In all my teenage years in LA, I never crossed the border into Mexico. I have, however, lived in Oregon, California, Hawaii, Washington, and now Colorado. I’ve primarily been an internal traveler. We’ll see if I someday have the opportunity for international travel.

11. I attended a Montessori school as a young child.

12. My wife, Michele, and I lived a few houses away from each other as children in Eugene, Oregon — but we didn’t meet until we were adults. Her family moved out of the neighborhood a few months before mine moved in. When we met and started dating as adults, we discovered we have shared childhood memories of all the same places.

13. I can name most of the obscure border crossings throughout Europe. I worked for Rail Europe (in the US) for several years. I eventually moved to the Russian desk; since I could read and write a bit of Russian, part of my job was to fax ticket requests to Moscow.

14. The Greek side of my family can be traced to the island of Chios, near the coast of Turkey. Apparently, I still have distant cousins living on the island.

==

Some further thoughts on education…

My comments on knowledge and education accompanying Friday’s poem made a few people uncomfortable. To some it sounded as if I was negating the value of education and academic learning, which I really wasn’t trying to do.

I used strong language to make a point about our cultural assumptions. But I should be clear that I am by no means anti-intellectual or blind to the huge value of a good education. In my day job I work as a computer programmer and database designer. I definitely acknowledge the power of a well-exercised intellect that has the ability to think logically and can utilize information effectively. None of that would be possible without a solid education, a few special teachers along the way, and access to good information resources.

When I have a few extra dollars, I tend to buy books. I have shelves filled with books of poetry, history, novels, natural health, and, of course, religion and spirituality.

But– that is still not knowledge in the deep sense.

My real point is that education, books, and the skills of critical thinking can open a life up in profound ways: intellectually, yes, spiritually, professionally, socially, in so many ways. I think it’s hugely important and sometimes undervalued in general American culture and in government priorities. At the same time, we idolize this form of cognition and forget that, for all of its potential, it has significant limitations which causes blind spots within both the individual and in society. Real knowledge, full knowledge, comes from a deeper place within the awareness.

Having a good education with a keen intellect is like having the most powerful computer in the office. You can do amazing things with it. Creative things. Productive things. Or pointless things. Or even destructive things. It all depends on the operator. There are lots of reasons to acquire a capable computer, but we tend to forget that much more important is real knowledge of how — and why — to use it at all.

I strongly support education, intellect, and critical thinking, just not becoming lost within them. I value the intellect but, personally, I tend to value wisdom more and the knowing heart most of all. The question is not which to choose and which to reject, but how to develop them all in proportion and balance.

==

Fund Drive

Once more, thank you so much for the many generous donations sent in support of the Poetry Chaikhana. I’ll have a few more names to thank in upcoming emails.

To everyone who has sent a donation so far, your help makes a huge difference!

16 Responses to “14 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Me”

Dear Ivan,
I really appreciated this pen picture of your personal history. You were a ‘good kid’ and you are, i believe a wise and a wonderful man. Thanks for sharing you love of Spiritual Poetry and your honest, deeply human and always inspiring insights as an act of World service. I am grateful I found your “tea shop”.
I send you Light and Loving energy from my spiritual core and one day I hope to send you a material donation too ! Until then may you be blessed and loved and safe in this World.

Thank you Ivan. how blessed you are and have been.Your deep explanations resonate with me more than most theology and devotional writings I have ever read. a God given mystical ‘knowledge’.
Today’s meant a great deal,for I was born 75 years ago today as the Dawn Chorus started. Favourite sound after silence,birdsong! Brenda.

Thank you Ivan, loved reading your background and history. Education is important, however education does not give one a keen intellect and sensitivity to understand life in all its twists and turns and appreciate it. The more intelligent a person is, the greater the boredom with the mundane. Thank you for being you, I have spent many an hour reading the poems on your website and the commentary. Thank you. Kindest regards.

I truly love who Ivan Granger is in the world…the way you have chosen to live from your deep self and that your gift/ service to us requires great devotion from you yet arrives in our mail as pure grace. So of course I loved reading more about you today. Thank you for inspiring me. Please be blessed in knowing that the gift of who you are is well received.
Sharon

“THE MOST PROPHETIC UTTERANCES HAVE EMANATED FROM THE MOST POETIC MINDS.”
-WILLIAM F. R. STANLEY &
“HE THAT KNEW ALL THAT LEARNING EVER WRIT KNEW ONLY THIS….THAT HE KNEW NOTHING YET.”
-APHRA BEHN

-IF I CHERISH MY ORIGINAL WISDOM THEN LEARNING CAN HELP ME TO BE COMFORTABLE IN MY IGNORANCE.
–
WHO WE ARE, HOW WE USE KNOWLEDGE, EDUCATION, THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS(LIFE), ETC IS TRANSFORMED INTO A 3D PICTURE WHEN WE COUPLE IT WITH AWARENESS. OTHERWISE WE ARE ALWAYS SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING OUTSIDE OUR REACH.
–
– SORRY FOR CAPS MY KEYBOARD IS MESSED UP. THANKS IVAN

Just to tell you, I enjoyed reading this and love all your mails with your erudite commentaries. I feel blessed to have stumbled upon Poetry Chaikhana. Be blessed and continue to inspire us in your unique way.

Dear Ivan
Thanks for being so generous with your experience, your insights and your feelings!!
The message you sent today (14 things) reminded me of the poem by Sohrab Sepehri, where he says he comes from Kashan. And we do, but we don’t, so these details were helpful to see you could be anyone I meet on the streets, or sit next to on the bus, or walk past when I am doing my shopping. Beyond is here.
take care

I found your historical description very impresing and profundly phrased.
It reminds me my own exprienve of life and the good old memories of the past in my country and abroad. Education is very important along with impression amd imossion quality we acquires in the course of experience.

Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied
on the video to make your point. You obviously know what youre talking about,
why throw away your intelligence on just posting videos
to your site when you could be giving us something informative to read?